Report by Verena Reindl, WIMA Germany President at that time.
With 327 participants from 13 countries, this rally was one of the most successful since the beginning. It was held in ‘the green heart of Germany ́, in Thuringia, one of the smallest but most beautiful states in the country.
In 1989, the wall between East and West Germany fell and many women, especially from abroad, were thrilled that they were allowed to get to know the former East Germany. The youth hostel ‘Am Hausteich’ set in a nature reserve with a lake in Plothen, was full to bursting; tents stood between the houses and the atmosphere was overwhelming.
The parade led to the Schleizer Dreieck, a world-famous racetrack, and the oldest in Germany. The gymkhana was a lot of fun for everyone, and the international teams competed against each other on wooden skis, balancing dumplings in a handcart, rolling tyres and other fun games. The prepared ‘Kultour’ competition lasted all week and led through the varied landscape with its rugged mountains, narrow valleys, endless forests, alongside rivers, past countless castles and palaces and showed the state of Thuringia in its full beauty. Activities also included a volleyball tournament lasting from Tuesday to Thursday, and a kids’ contest, to give mothers a chance to participate in the 150 km rally ride on the Wednesday.
The large beer tent was occupied every evening with a different event. There were campfires each night, a disco, the women’s band ‘Rainbow Sally’, karaoke, a barbecue evening and the Trash evening that has become a nice tradition.
The delicious Saale-Unstrut wine, the Apolda beer and the ‘Klopfer & Kümmerling’ (small liqueur bottles), which enjoyed great popularity, were sold at reasonable prices at the beer cart. Large ice cream cakes with shimmering sparklers rounded off the delicious farewell buffet and a 15-minute high-altitude fireworks display lit up the night sky as a surprise.
In short, this rally was a complete success, historically, organizationally and socially.
